Footwear sole structure and upper with an embedded plate

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear includes an upper including a first upper portion that defines an ankle opening. The article of footwear includes a footwear plate including a composite material. The footwear plate includes a covered plate portion and an exposed plate portion coupled to the exposed plate portion. The article of footwear further includes a sole structure including a second upper portion. The second upper portion is an extension of the first upper portion and partially extends around the footwear plate. The second upper portion defines a ground-facing surface and an inner upper surface opposite the ground-facing surface. The second upper portion defines a sole opening extending through the inner upper surface and the ground-facing surface. The second upper portion covers the covered plate portion, and the exposed plate portion is aligned with the sole opening to expose the exposed plate portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/903,007, filed on Sep. 20, 2019.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present teachings generally relate to a sole structure for an article of footwear and, more particularly, to a footwear sole structure with an embedded plate.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Articles of footwear include an upper and a sole structure. The upper may be formed from any suitable material(s) to receive, secure, and support a foot on the sole structure. The upper may cooperate with laces, straps, or other fasteners to adjust the fit of the upper around the foot. A bottom portion of the upper, proximate to a bottom surface of the foot, attaches to the sole structure.

Sole structures include a layered arrangement extending between a ground surface and the upper. One layer of the sole structure includes an outsole that provides abrasion-resistance and traction with the ground surface. The outsole may be formed from rubber or other materials that impart durability and wear-resistance, as well as enhancing traction with the ground surface. Another layer of the sole structure includes a midsole disposed between the outsole and the upper. The midsole provides cushioning for the foot and is at least partially formed from a polymer foam material that compresses resiliently under an applied load to cushion the foot by attenuating ground-reaction forces. The midsole may define a bottom surface on one side that opposes the outsole and a footbed on the opposite side that may be contoured to conform to a profile of the bottom surface of the foot. Sole structures may also include a comfort-enhancing insole or a sockliner located within a void proximate to the bottom portion of the upper.

The metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint of the foot is known to absorb energy as it flexes through dorsiflexion during running movements. As the foot does not move through plantarflexion until the foot is pushing off of a ground surface, the MTP joint returns little of the energy it absorbs to the running movement and, thus, is the source of an energy drain during running movements. Embedding flat and rigid plates having longitudinal stiffness within a sole structure increases the overall stiffness thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration in lateral side view of an article of footwear.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration in rear view of the article of footwear shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration in medial view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration in front view of the article of footwear.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration in bottom view of the article of footwear.

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of the article of footwear, taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an article of footwear.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a strobel board placed on a last.

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the upper placed on the last while the strobel board is on the last.

FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of a footwear plate inserted through a sole opening of the upper.

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of an article of footwear in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, wherein a midsole is disposed on top of a footwear plate.

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration in cross-sectional view of an article of footwear in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, wherein a midsole disposed under the footwear plate.

DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure describes an article of footwear, which may be used for football (or soccer as known in the United States). In some aspects of the present disclosure, the article of footwear includes an upper including a first upper portion. The first upper portion defines an ankle opening. The article of footwear includes a footwear plate including a composite material. The footwear plate includes a covered plate portion and an exposed plate portion coupled to the exposed plate portion. The article of footwear includes a sole structure including a second upper portion. The second upper portion is an extension of the first upper portion. The second upper portion partially extends around the footwear plate. The second upper portion defines a ground-facing surface and an inner upper surface opposite the ground-facing surface. The second upper portion defines a sole opening extending through the inner upper surface and the ground-facing surface. The covered plate portion is disposed on the inner upper surface of the second upper portion. As such, the second upper portion covers the covered plate portion. The exposed plate portion is aligned with the sole opening to expose the exposed plate portion.

The first upper portion is integrally coupled to the second upper portion to form a one-piece structure. The footwear plate may be oriented along a longitudinal axis. The second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge. The first edge may be coupled to the second edge along the longitudinal axis. The sole structure includes a cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion.

The covered plate portion may be in direct contact with the inner upper surface of the second upper portion. The first upper portion may be directly coupled to the second upper portion. The sole structure has a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region. The cleat structure may be referred to as a forward cleat structure that is disposed at the forefoot region. The article of footwear may further include a rear cleat structure. The rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region.

The forward cleat structure defines a body opening. The body opening is aligned with the exposed plate portion to expose the footwear plate at the forefoot region. The forward cleat structure may be directly coupled to the ground-facing surface of the second upper portion at the forefoot region. The rear cleat structure may be directly coupled to the ground-facing surface of the second upper portion at the heel region.

Each of the forward cleat structure and the rear cleat structure may include a main outsole body and a plurality of traction elements directly coupled to the main outsole body. Each of the first upper portion and the second upper portion includes an upper material. The main outsole body and the plurality of traction elements includes an outsole material, and the outsole material is more rigid than the upper material to enhance traction.

The footwear plate may be oriented along a longitudinal axis. The second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge. The first edge may be coupled to the second edge along the longitudinal axis.

The sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region. The sole structure includes a forward cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion, and the forward cleat structure is disposed at the forefoot region, the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region, each of the forward cleat structure and the rear cleat structure includes a main outsole body and a plurality of traction elements directly coupled to the main outsole body, the footwear plate includes a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, each of the first upper portion and the second upper portion includes an upper material, the main outsole body and the plurality of traction elements include an outsole material, and the outsole material is more rigid than the upper material to enhance traction, and the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer is more rigid than the upper material and the outsole material to enhance stability of the sole structure. The upper material may be a textile, and the outsole material may be rubber.

The sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region. The footwear plate may extend through the heel region, the midfoot region, and the forefoot region of the sole structure to enhance stability of the article of footwear.

The footwear plate may be oriented along a longitudinal axis. The second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge. The first edge may be stitched to the second edge from the heel region to the midfoot region of the sole structure.

The sole structure may include a forward cleat structure coupled to the second upper portion. The article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure coupled to the second upper portion. The forward cleat structure may be disposed at the forefoot region. The rear cleat structure may be disposed at the heel region. The forward cleat structure may define a first body opening and a second body opening each sized to expose the footwear plate at the forefoot region. The forward cleat structure may include an outsole web separating the first body opening from the second body opening.

The sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region. The sole structure further may include a strobel board disposed on the footwear plate at the forefoot region.

The footwear plate defines an inner plate surface and a ground-engaging plate surface opposite the inner plate surface. The strobel board may be in direct contact with the inner plate surface of the footwear plate. The strobel board may be solely disposed at the forefoot region of the sole structure.

The present disclosure also describes a method of manufacturing the article of footwear described above. The method may include placing an upper on a last. The upper has a first upper portion and a second upper portion extending from the first upper portion. The first upper portion defines an ankle opening. The second upper portion partly defines a sole structure of the article of footwear. The sole structure has a forefoot region, a heel region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, and the second upper portion defines a sole opening. The method further includes inserting a footwear plate between the last and the upper at the heel region and continuing moving the footwear plate toward the sole opening until a portion is inserted through the sole opening at the forefoot region. The sole structure may further include a midsole disposed under the footwear plate or on top of the footwear plate.

The method may further include placing a strobel board on the last before placing the upper on the last. In addition, the method may include coupling the strobel board to the upper before inserting the footwear plate between the last and the upper at the heel region. Also, the method may include coupling a cleat structure to the second upper portion. The upper may be wholly made of a textile, and the footwear plate may be wholly made of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. The cleat structure may be made of a polymeric material that is more rigid than the textile.

The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present teachings are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the modes for carrying out the present teachings when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and the example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” “attached to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” “directly attached to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, an article of footwear 10 includes an upper 100 and a sole structure 200, which is partially formed by the upper 100. The article of footwear 10 (and its components, such as the upper 100 and the sole structure 200) may be divided into one or more portions. The portions may include a forefoot portion 12, a midfoot portion 14, and a heel portion 16. The forefoot portion 12 may correspond with toes and joints connecting metatarsal bones with phalanx bones of a foot during use of the footwear 10. The forefoot portion 12 may correspond with the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint of the foot. The midfoot portion 14 may correspond with an arch area of the foot, and the heel portion 16 may correspond with rear portions of the foot, including a calcaneus bone, during use of the article of footwear 10. The footwear 10 may include lateral and medial sides 18, 20, respectively, corresponding with opposite sides of the footwear 10 and extending through the portions 12, 14, 16.

The upper 100 includes interior surfaces that define an interior void 102 that receives and secures a foot for support on the sole structure 200, during use of the article of footwear 10. An ankle opening 104 in the heel portion 16 may provide access to the interior void 102. For example, the ankle opening 104 may receive a foot to secure the foot within the interior void 102 and facilitate entry and removal of the foot to and from the interior void 102. In some examples, one or more fasteners 106 extend along the upper 100 to adjust a fit of the interior void 102 around the foot while concurrently accommodating entry and removal of the foot therefrom. The upper 100 may include apertures such as eyelets and/or other engagement features such as fabric or mesh loops that receive the fasteners 106. The fasteners 106 may include laces, straps, cords, hook-and-loop, or any other suitable type of fastener. The upper 100 may also include a heel cup 115 at the heel portion 16 to support the heel of the footwear user.

The upper 100 may include a tongue portion 110 (FIG. 4) that extends between the interior void 102 and the fasteners 106. The upper 100 may be formed from one or more materials (i.e., the upper material) that are stitched or adhesively bonded together to form the interior void 102. Suitable materials of the upper may include, but are not limited, textiles, fabrics, foam, leather, and synthetic leather. The materials may be selected and located to impart properties of durability, air-permeability, wear-resistance, flexibility, and comfort.

In some implementations, the sole structure 200 may include cleat structures 210 a, 210 b and a strobel board 220 (FIG. 6) disposed at the forefoot region 12. The strobel board 220 is optional and may include a cushioning component . The sole structure 200 is oriented along a longitudinal axis L that extends lengthwise between a forward terminal end of the forefoot portion 12 and a rearward terminal end of the heel portion 16.

In some embodiments, the outsole members 210 a, 210 b may define cleat structures that are operative to impinge into a ground surface to provide increased ground traction for the wearer/article of footwear 10. As such, the outsole member 210 a may be referred to as the first or forefoot outsole member, or as the forward cleat structure 210 a. Likewise, the other outsole member 210 b may be referred to as the second or heel outsole member 210 b, or as the rear cleat structure 210 b.

Each of the cleat structures 210 a, 210 b includes a lower/ground-engaging surface 212 and an opposite upper/inner surface 214. The cleat structures 210 a, 210 b generally provide abrasion-resistance and traction with the ground surface during use of the article of footwear 10. The cleat structures 210 a, 210 b may be formed from one or more materials that impart durability and wear-resistance, as well as enhance traction with the ground surface. For example, the cleat structures 210 a, 210 b may be formed from a polymeric material including at least one of a rubber, a polyurethane, an ionomer, and/or an engineering plastic. In one particular embodiment, at least a portion of the cleat structures 210 a, 210 b may comprise a rubber.

Each of the cleat structures 210 a and 210 b includes a main outsole body 211 and one or more traction elements 215, such as spikes or cleats. In some examples, the forward cleat structure 210 a is entirely disposed at the forefoot portion 12, whereas the rear cleat structure 210 b is entirely disposed at the heel portion 16 to enhance engagement with a ground surface during a running motion.

In some examples, one or more traction elements 215 (e.g., spikes or cleats) extend directly from the main outsole body 211 in a direction away from the upper 100 to provide traction with soft ground surfaces, such as grass, and enhance the structural integrity of the outsole members 210 a, 210 b. For instance, in some embodiments, each traction element 215 may attach to the main outsole body 211 of the cleat structures 210 a, 210 b and extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the sole structure 200. In the example shown, the traction elements 215 include spikes extending from the main outsole bodies 211 at the forefoot portion 12 and the heel portion 16.

The strobel board 220 may include a bottom/ground-facing surface 222 and an opposite upper/footbed surface 224. The strobel board 220 may be secured to the upper 100, at least in part through the use of stitching and/or adhesives that attach the strobel board 220 to the upper 100. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the upper (e.g., a fabric that is continuous with a sidewall of the upper) may extend around the strobel board 220 such that it lies between the strobel board 220 and at least one of the first or rear cleat structures 210 a, 210 b.

In one embodiment, the article of footwear 100 further includes a footwear plate 300. The footwear plate 300 could be attached directly to the upper 100 and may be in direct contact with the strobel board 220. The footwear plate 300 may be partly or wholly made of a composite material, such as a carbon fiber composite, to enhance the stiffness of the article of footwear 10. For this reason, the footwear plate 300 may be referred to as the composite plate. As used herein, the term “composite material” means a material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components, while the individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure, differentiating composites from mixtures and solid solutions. The footwear plate 300 may be wholly or partly made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer that is more rigid than the upper material forming the upper 100 and then the outsole material forming the outsole members 210 a, 210 b to enhance the stability of the sole structure 200. The footwear plate 300 is part of the sole structure 200 to reduce energy loss at the MTP joint while enhancing rolling of the foot as the footwear 10 rolls for engagement with a ground surface during a running motion. The footwear plate 300 may define a length extending through at least a portion of the length of the sole structure 200. In some examples, the length of the plate 300 extends through the forefoot, midfoot, and heel portions 12, 14, 16 of the sole structure 200 to enhance the structural integrity of the sole structure 200. The footwear plate 300 is oriented along the longitudinal axis L that extends lengthwise between a forward terminal end of the forefoot portion 12 and a rearward terminal end of the heel portion 16. In other examples, the length of the plate 300 extends through the forefoot portion 12 and the midfoot portion 14, and is absent from the heel portion 16. The footwear plate 300 functions as an innersole and a chassis.

The length of the footwear plate 300 may be oriented along the longitudinal axis L between a first end 301 (FIG. 5) and a second end 302 (FIG. 5) of the footwear plate 300. The first end 301 may be disposed proximate to the heel portion 16 of the sole structure 200 and the second end 302 may be disposed proximate to the forefoot portion 12 of the sole structure 200. The first end 301 may also be referred to as a “posterior-most point” of the footwear plate 300, while the second end 302 may also be referred to as an “anterior-most point” of the footwear plate 300. The footwear plate 300 may have a thickness extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the sole structure 200 and a width extending between the lateral side 18 and the medial side 20.

The strobel board 220 may be disposed on the footwear plate 300 at the forefoot region 12 of the sole structure 200 for cushioning when the exposed plate portion 310 directly contacts the ground during a running motion. As such, the strobel board 220 is in direct contact with the exposed plate portion 310 of the footwear plate 300. In particular, the strobel board 220 may be in direct contact with the inner plate surface 304 and may be soley disposed at the forefoot region 12 of the sole structure 200 for cushioning when the exposed plate portion 310 directly contacts the ground during a running motion.

The upper 100 includes a first or superior upper portion 112 and a second or bottom upper portion 114 that extends from the first upper portion 112 around at least a portion of the footwear plate 300. The first upper portion 112 may be what is most conventionally referred to as the upper 100, and is the portion that defines the ankle opening 104 and the interior void 102. The second upper portion 114 is an extension of the first upper portion 112 and, by wrapping around at least a portion of the footwear plate 300, may be more appropriately regarded as part of the sole structure 200. The second upper portion 114 may be integrally coupled to the first upper portion 112 to form a one-piece structure. Accordingly, each of the first upper portion 112 and the second upper portion 114 is wholly or partly made of the same material (i.e., an upper material). The upper material may be, for example, a textile. In this configuration, the second upper portion 114 may include a ground-facing surface 116 and an opposite inner upper surface 119.

In certain embodiments, each of the cleat structures 210 a, 210 b may be directly coupled to the second upper portion 114. The second upper portion 114 defines a first edge 118 and a second edge 120. The first edge 118 may be stitched (or otherwise attached) to the second edge 120 along the longitudinal axis L to maintain the stability of the sole structure 200 during a running motion. In other words, stitching 124 may couple the first edge 118 to the second edge 120 along the longitudinal axis L to maintain the stability of the sole structure 200 during a running motion. In the depicted embodiment, the first edge 118 is directly coupled to the second edge 120 to enhance the structural integrity of the sole structure 200.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the second upper portion 114 may extend between the footwear plate 300 and at least one of the forward cleat structure 210 a or the rear cleat structure 210 b. Additionally, in at least a portion of the sole structure 200, the footwear plate 300 may extend between the second upper portion 114 and at least one of the forward cleat structure 210 a the rear cleat structure 210 b. Such a configuration may enable the footwear plate 300 to be at least partially hidden and partially exposed by the wrapped second upper portion 114.

To accomplish this partially hidden/partially exposed design, in one configuration, the second upper portion 114 defines a sole opening 122, such as a slit, hole, and/or gap, through which the footwear plate 300 may pass. In doing so, a portion of the footwear plate 300 extends through the sole opening 122 to partially expose the footwear plate 300, and thereby allowing the footwear plate 300 to directly contact the ground during a running motion. By allowing the footwear plate 300 to directly contact the ground during a running motion, the rolling of the foot is enhanced as the footwear 10 rolls for engagement with a ground surface during a running motion. The sole opening 122 is mostly or entirely disposed at the forefoot portion 12 of the sole structure 200 to enhance rolling of the foot as the footwear 10 rolls for engagement with a ground surface during a running motion. The outsole members 210 a also defines one or more body openings 213 extending through the main outsole body 211 to expose the footwear plate 300, thereby allowing the footwear plate 300 to directly contact the ground during a running motion. As discussed above, it is desirable to expose the footwear plate 300 to allow it to directly contact a ground surface during a running motion. The outsole member 210 a may include outsole web 217 traversing the body opening 213 to enhance traction at the forefoot 12 of the sole structure 200. In the depicted embodiment, the outsole member 210 a defines two body openings 213 separated by the outsole web 217. The two body openings 213 allow exposure of the footwear plate 300. One or more traction elements 215 extend directly from the outsole web 217 to enhance traction at the forefoot portion 12 of the sole structure 200. As discussed above, the sole structure 200 is defined by the second upper portion 114 of the upper 100, the footwear plate 300, and the outsole members 210 a, 210 b. The stitching 124 may solely extend from heel region 16 to the midfoot region 14 to allow the footwear plate 300 to be exposed, thereby allowing the footwear plate 300 to directly contact the ground during a running motion. The footwear plate 300 defines an inner plate surface 304 and a ground-engaging plate surface 306 opposite the inner plate surface 304.

The footwear plate 300 includes a covered plate portion 308 and an exposed plate portion 310 coupled to the covered plate portion 308. The covered plate portion 308 may be directly coupled to the exposed plate portion 310 to enhance the structural integrity of the footwear plate 300. The covered plate portion 308 is disposed on the inner upper surface 119 of the second upper portion 114. As such, the second upper portion 114 covers the covered plate portion 308. The covered plate portion 308 may be in direct contact with the inner upper surface 119 of the second upper portion 114 to enhance the structural integrity of the sole structure 200. The exposed plate portion 310 is aligned with the sole opening 122 to expose the exposed plate portion 310. One or more of the body openings 213 are aligned with the exposed plate portion 310 to expose the footwear plate 300 at the forefoot region 12.

As discussed above, the upper 100 may be wholly or partly made of one or more materials (i.e., the upper materials) that are stitched or adhesively bonded together to form the interior void 102. Suitable materials of the upper may include, but are not limited, textiles, foam, leather, and synthetic leather. The materials may be selected and located to impart properties of durability, air-permeability, wear-resistance, flexibility, and comfort. The outsole members 210 a, 210 b, however, are wholly or partly made of one or more materials (i.e., the outsole material) than are more rigid than the material forming the upper (i.e., the upper material) to enhance traction.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the article of footwear 10. The method 400 begins at block 402, which entails placing the strobel board 220 on a last 500 as shown in FIG. 8. The last 500 is shaped as a human foot, and the strobel board 220 is placed at a forefoot last region 502 of the last 500. Then, the method 400 proceeds to block 404. At block 404, the upper 100 is placed on the last 500. When placing the upper 110 on the last 500, the forefoot last region 502 is inserted through the sole opening 122, thereby exposing the strobel board 220 as shown in FIG. 9. Next, the method 400 proceeds to block 406. Block 406 entails coupling (e.g., stitching) the upper 100 to the strobel board 220 while the upper 100 and the strobel board 220 remain on the last 500. Then, the method 400 continues to block 408. Block 408 entails inserting the footwear plate 300 between the last 500 and the upper 100 at the heel region 16 of the upper 100 and then continuing moving the footwear plate 300 toward the sole opening 122 until a portion (i.e., the exposed plate portion 310) of the footwear plate 300 is inserted through the sole opening 122 at the forefoot region 12 of the upper 100 as shown in FIG. 10. Then, the method 400 proceeds to block 410. At block 410, one or more 210 a, 210 b (e.g., cleat structures) are coupled to the upper 100. Specifically, one or more 210 a, 210 b (e.g., cleat structures) are coupled to the second upper portion 114. The forward cleat structure 210 a may be coupled to the footwear plate 300 and the second upper portion 114 to secure the footwear plate 300 to the second upper portion 114.

With reference to FIG. 11, the sole structure 200 of the article of footwear 10 may additionally include a midsole 202 for providing cushioning to the footwear user. To this end, the midsole 202 may be made of a polymeric material, such as rubber or foam. The midsole 202 may be disposed on top of the footwear plate 300 to enhance the comfort of the footwear wearer. A sockliner may be also disposed on top of the midsole 202 to provide comfort. The midsole 202 may continuously extend along the forefoot portion 12, the midfoot portion 14, and the heel portion 16 to provide cushioning to the entire foot of the footwear wearer.

With reference to FIG. 12, the midsole 202 may be disposed under the footwear plate 300 for providing cushioning while the footwear user plays sports on hard surfaces, such as running, baseball, tennis etc. To this end, the midsole 202 may be made of a polymeric material, such as rubber or foam. The midsole 202 may continuously extend along the forefoot portion 12, the midfoot portion 14, and the heel portion 16 to provide cushioning to the entire foot of the footwear wearer.

In another embodiment, a method for manufacturing an article of footwear may begin by lasting one or more layers of a textile around a foot-shape fixture to substantially form an upper portion of the shoe. In this embodiment, the first edge 118 and a second edge 120 may then be joined while the textile is still on the fixture. Following this, the footwear plate 300 may be inserted through an opening in the textile such that a portion of the footwear plate 300 is internal to the textile (and/or is hidden from external view by the textile), and a portion of the footwear plate 300 is exposed and viewable from the outside of the textile. In one configuration the heel portion of the footwear plate 300 is inserted through the slit/opening and is hidden from external view. Following the insertion, the footwear plate maybe bonded to at least a portion of the textile to form a portion of the sole structure. Finally, cleat structures may be bonded to an external surface of the sole structure (i.e., the textile and/or the footwear plate 300).

To assist and clarify the description of various embodiments, various terms are defined herein. Unless otherwise indicated, the following definitions apply throughout this specification (including the claims). Additionally, all references referred to are incorporated herein in their entirety.

An “article of footwear”, a “footwear article of manufacture”, and “footwear” may be considered to be both a machine and a manufacture. Assembled, ready to wear footwear articles (e.g., shoes, sandals, boots, etc.), as well as discrete components of footwear articles (such as a midsole, an outsole, an upper component, etc.) prior to final assembly into ready to wear footwear articles, are considered and alternatively referred to herein in either the singular or plural as “article(s) of footwear” or “footwear”.

“A”, “an”, “the”, “at least one”, and “one or more” are used interchangeably to indicate that at least one of the items is present. A plurality of such items may be present unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All numerical values of parameters (e.g., of quantities or conditions) in this specification, unless otherwise indicated expressly or clearly in view of the context, including the appended claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” whether or not “about” actually appears before the numerical value. “About” indicates that the stated numerical value allows some slight imprecision (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly). If the imprecision provided by “about” is not otherwise understood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” as used herein indicates at least variations that may arise from ordinary methods of measuring and using such parameters. As used in the description and the accompanying claims, unless stated otherwise, a value is considered to be “approximately” equal to a stated value if it is neither more than 5 percent greater than nor more than 5 percent less than the stated value. In addition, a disclosure of a range is to be understood as specifically disclosing all values and further divided ranges within the range.

The terms “comprising”, “including”, and “having” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, or components. Orders of steps, processes, and operations may be altered when possible, and additional or alternative steps may be employed. As used in this specification, the term “or” includes any one and all combinations of the associated listed items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced items, including “any one of” the referenced items. The term “any of” is understood to include any possible combination of referenced claims of the appended claims, including “any one of” the referenced claims.

For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives may be employed throughout this detailed description corresponding to the illustrated embodiments. Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as “above”, “below”, “upward”, “downward”, “top”, “bottom”, etc., may be used descriptively relative to the figures, without representing limitations on the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.

The term “longitudinal” refers to a direction extending along a length of a component. For example, a longitudinal direction of an article of footwear extends between a forefoot region and a heel region of the article of footwear. The term “forward” or “anterior” is used to refer to the general direction from a heel region toward a forefoot region, and the term “rearward” or “posterior” is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e., the direction from the forefoot region toward the heel region. In some cases, a component may be identified with a longitudinal axis as well as a forward and rearward longitudinal direction along that axis. The longitudinal direction or axis may also be referred to as an anterior-posterior direction or axis.

The term “transverse” refers to a direction extending along a width of a component. For example, a transverse direction of an article of footwear extends between a lateral side and a medial side of the article of footwear. The transverse direction or axis may also be referred to as a lateral direction or axis or a mediolateral direction or axis.

The term “vertical” refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both the lateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where a sole structure is planted flat on a ground surface, the vertical direction may extend from the ground surface upward. It will be understood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied to individual components of a sole structure. The term “upward” or “upwards” refers to the vertical direction pointing towards a top of the component, which may include an instep, a fastening region and/or a throat of an upper. The term “downward” or “downwards” refers to the vertical direction pointing opposite the upwards direction, toward the bottom of a component and may generally point towards the bottom of a sole structure of an article of footwear.

The “interior” of an article of footwear, such as a shoe, refers to portions at the space that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn. The “inner side” of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented toward the interior of the component or article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. The “outer side” or “exterior” of a component refers to the side or surface of the component that is (or will be) oriented away from the interior of the article of footwear in an assembled article of footwear. In some cases, other components may be between the inner side of a component and the interior in the assembled article of footwear. Similarly, other components may be between an outer side of a component and the space external to the assembled article of footwear. Further, the terms “inward” and “inwardly” refer to the direction toward the interior of the component or article of footwear, such as a shoe, and the terms “outward” and “outwardly” refer to the direction toward the exterior of the component or article of footwear, such as the shoe. In addition, the term “proximal” refers to a direction that is nearer a center of a footwear component, or is closer toward a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Likewise, the term “distal” refers to a relative position that is further away from a center of the footwear component or is further from a foot when the foot is inserted in the article of footwear as it is worn by a user. Thus, the terms proximal and distal may be understood to provide generally opposing terms to describe relative spatial positions.

While various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other embodiment unless specifically restricted. Accordingly, the embodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.

While several modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and exemplary of the entire range of alternative embodiments that an ordinarily skilled artisan would recognize as implied by, structurally and/or functionally equivalent to, or otherwise rendered obvious based upon the included content, and not as limited solely to those explicitly depicted and/or described embodiments. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a first upper portion, wherein the first upper portion defines an ankle opening; a footwear plate including a composite material, wherein the footwear plate includes a covered plate portion and an exposed plate portion coupled to the exposed plate portion; a sole structure including a second upper portion, wherein the second upper portion is an extension of the first upper portion, the second upper portion partially extends around the footwear plate, the second upper portion defines a ground-facing surface and an inner upper surface opposite the ground-facing surface, and the second upper portion defines a sole opening extending through the inner upper surface and the ground-facing surface; and wherein the covered plate portion is disposed on the inner upper surface of the second upper portion such that the second upper portion covers the covered plate portion, and the exposed plate portion is aligned with the sole opening to expose the exposed plate portion.
 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first upper portion is integrally coupled to the second upper portion to form a one-piece structure, the footwear plate is oriented along a longitudinal axis, the second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge, the first edge is coupled to the second edge along the longitudinal axis, and the sole structure includes a cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion.
 3. The article of footwear according to claim 2, wherein the covered plate portion is in direct contact with the inner upper surface of the second upper portion, the first upper portion is directly coupled to the second upper portion, the sole structure has a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the cleat structure is a forward cleat structure disposed at the forefoot region, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure, and the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region.
 4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the forward cleat structure defines a body opening, the body opening is aligned with the exposed plate portion to expose the footwear plate at the forefoot region, the forward cleat structure is directly coupled to the ground-facing surface of the second upper portion at the forefoot region, and the rear cleat structure is directly coupled to the ground-facing surface of the second upper portion at the heel region.
 5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein each of the forward cleat structure and the rear cleat structure includes a main outsole body and a plurality of traction elements directly coupled to the main outsole body.
 6. The article of footwear according to claim 5, wherein each of the first upper portion and the second upper portion includes an upper material, the main outsole body and the plurality of traction elements includes an outsole material, and the outsole material is more rigid than the upper material to enhance traction.
 7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a midsole disposed under the footwear plate.
 8. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the sole structure includes a forward cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure directly coupled to the second upper portion, and the forward cleat structure is disposed at the forefoot region, the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region, each of the forward cleat structure and the rear cleat structure includes a main outsole body and a plurality of traction elements directly coupled to the main outsole body, the footwear plate includes a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, each of the first upper portion and the second upper portion includes an upper material, the main outsole body and the plurality of traction elements include an outsole material, and the outsole material is more rigid than the upper material to enhance traction, and the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer is more rigid than the upper material and the outsole material to enhance stability of the sole structure.
 9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a midsole disposed on top of the footwear plate.
 10. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, and the footwear plate extends through the heel region, the midfoot region, and the forefoot region of the sole structure to enhance stability of the article of footwear.
 11. The article of footwear according to claim 10, wherein the footwear plate is oriented along a longitudinal axis, the second upper portion defines a first edge and a second edge, and the first edge is stitched to the second edge from the heel region to the midfoot region of the sole structure.
 12. The article of footwear according to claim 11, wherein the sole structure includes a forward cleat structure coupled to the second upper portion, the article of footwear further includes a rear cleat structure coupled to the second upper portion, the forward cleat structure is disposed at the forefoot region, the rear cleat structure is disposed at the heel region, the forward cleat structure defines a first body opening and a second body opening each sized to expose the footwear plate at the forefoot region, and the forward cleat structure includes an outsole web separating the first body opening from the second body opening.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes a heel region, a forefoot region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, the sole structure further includes a strobel board disposed on the footwear plate at the forefoot region.
 14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the footwear plate defines an inner plate surface and a ground-engaging plate surface opposite the inner plate surface, the strobel board is in direct contact with the inner plate surface of the footwear plate, and the strobel board is solely disposed at the forefoot region of the sole structure.
 15. A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising: placing an upper on a last, wherein the upper has a first upper portion and a second upper portion extending from the first upper portion, the first upper portion defines an ankle opening, the second upper portion partly defines a sole structure of the article of footwear, the sole structure has a forefoot region, a heel region, and a midfoot region between the forefoot region and the heel region, and the second upper portion defines a sole opening; and inserting a footwear plate between the last and the upper at the heel region and continuing moving the footwear plate toward the sole opening until a portion is inserted through the sole opening at the forefoot region.
 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising placing a strobel board on the last before placing the upper on the last.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising coupling the strobel board to the upper before inserting the footwear plate between the last and the upper at the heel region.
 18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising coupling a cleat structure to the second upper portion.
 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the upper is wholly made of a textile, and the footwear plate is wholly made of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the cleat structure is made of a polymeric material that is more rigid than the textile. 